Textile loom reed



Oct. 4, 1966 R. F. PARKS 3,276,485

TEXTILE LOOM REED Filed June 5, 1.964

IHWMIIMM 1 l6 INVENTOR.

ROBERT F'. PARKS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,276,485 TEXTILE LOOM REED Robert F. Parks, Greenville, S.C., assignor to Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Paris, S.C., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 3, 1964, Ser. No. 372,212 2 Claims. (Cl. 139192) This invention relates to textile loom reeds and more particularly to a type known as pitchband reeds.

As is well known in the art, pitchband reeds are generally constructed of a plurality of thin fiat metal strips or reed dents sandwiched at their ends between pairs of wooden strips, each pair of strips being bound together and the dents spaced apart by a winding of pitch impregnated cord which passes between adjacent dents and over the outside surfaces of the strips, thereby binding the assembly together.

The material formerly employed to impregnate the cord has consisted of a mixture of pitch and tar. In the process of saturating the cord or band, the cord is passed through a vat of molten pitch and tar mixture. At the temperatures employed, volatile constituents boil off, thereby changing the composition of the mixture. If the material becomes too hard and brittle, more tar is added; if it becomes too soft and tacky, more pitch is added. No satisfactory method of measuring and controlling the composition of the mixture during the impregnating operation has been devised.

During the service life of a conventional pitchband reed, volatile constituents continue to evaporate, causing the pitch to become brittle. Continued aging results in the pitch becoming so dry and brittle that it powders and permits the dents to become loose or lame which causes defects in Weaving.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a reed of the pitchband type utilizing an impregnant which possesses optimum properties of tackiness, hardness and flexibility and which does not become brittle with age but maintains its properties uniformly over extended periods of time and use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reed having the advantage of a conventional pitchband reed which will not become brittle and powder out into the cloth being woven during extended use.

Another object is to provide a pitchband reed utilizing an impregnant mixture which contains little or no ingredients which are volatile in the mixture at the temperatures of impregnation and no ingredients which are volatile during use of the reed in weaving.

A further object is to provide a pitchband reed which may be easily repaired in the event one or more reed dents become bent or damaged.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a reed which through a period of prolonged use will maintain uniform rigidity or security thus insuring uniformity of performance during weaving.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The impregnant used in the improved reed of this invention generally comprises a volatile-free thermoplastic vinyl polymer selected from the group consisting of polymeric vinyl esters of lower carboxylic acids, polymeric vinyl acetals and mixtures thereof, a nonvolatile plasticizer, and a thermoplastic tackifying resin. The composition may optionally contain stabilizers or antioxidants.

The vinyl polymer may be a vinyl ester of lower earboxylic acids, such as the acetate, propionate and butyrate 3,276,485 Patented Oct. 4, 1966 or lower acetals, such as polyvinyl butyral, acetal and the like. Suitable compatible plasticizers are used, such as tricresyl phosphate, phthalate esters such as dibutyl phthalate, dibutoxyethyl phthalate and the like, sulfonamides such as toluene ethyl sulfonamide, synthetic waxes, such as hydrogenated castor oil and poly-meric vinyl ethers, such as polyvinyl methyl ether. Suitable fluxing or tackifying resins include rosin and rosin esters, including ethylene glycol ester of poylmerized rosin and glycerol esters of hydrogenated rosin, for example. Optional stabilizers include fatty acid amides such as stearamide.

The impregnant compositions generally comprise about 10 to 65% by weight of vinyl polymer, 5 to 30% of plasticizer and 30 to 60% tackifying resin. Stabilizers may be present in minor amounts, generally 0.1 to 1% by weight. The compositions melt generally in the range of about to 180 C. The cord, which is preferably of highly absorbent temperature insensitive material, such as cotton, is impregnated with the molten composition.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a prospective view, partially exploded and having parts broken away, of the novel textile reed of the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view taken along line 22 in FIGURE 1.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the pitchband reed consists of a plurality of thin, flat strips or dents 10 clamped in parallel relationship between pairs of wooden strips 11 and 11 and 12 and 12, respectively, adjacent the ends of the dents. The strips 11, 11, 12 and 12 preferably include metal reinforcing bars 13 positioned in grooves in the wooden strips. Cords 14, previously impregnated with the novel impregnant used to construct reeds in accordance with the invention are heated and wound around the wooden strips and between successive dents 10 thereby spacing the dents and sandwiching the ends of the dents between the wooden strips. A paper of fabric covering 15 covers the exposed impregnated cord and the ends of the dents and is adhesively secured to the impregnant coating 16. Heavy rigid metal end struts 17 are positioned at the ends of the wooden strips and secured by metal end caps 18 which are held in place by brads 19 driven into the ends of the wooden strips.

In the event one or more dent wires become bent or otherwise damaged the reed may be removed, repaired and replaced, since the impregnant does not deteriorate with age.

The following examples illustrate preferred impregnant compositions utilizable in the practice of the invention, in which all parts are by weight:

Example I The following ingredients were heated to 170 and thoroughly mixed:

Parts Polyvinyl butyral 20 Tricresyl phosphate 2.5 Hydrogenated castor oil 25 Rosin 60 Stearamide 0.5

The melt had a viscosity of 2000 cps. at C. Cotton yarn was passed through the molten composition for impregnation. Thereafter a loom reed was assembled utilizing the impregnated cord in the manner described above. The reed was utilized in a weaving operation for an extended period of time and the assembly showed no evidence of cracking, brittleness, or powdering, but remained flexible and adherent to the wooden strips and the metal dents.

Other compositions which yielded excellent results are set forth in the following examples:

Example II The procedure of Example I was followed utilizing the following composition heated to 170 C:

Parts Polyvinyl acetate 100 Dibutoxyethyl phthalate 10 Rosin 50 The viscosity Was 9000 cps. at 170 C.

Example III The, procedure of Example I was followed utilizing nylon cord and the following composition heated to 160 C:

Parts Polyvinyl butyral 12 Butyl phthalyl butyl glycollate 8 Hydrogenated castor oil 44 Ethyline glycol ester of polymerized rosin 15 Glycerol ester of hydrogenated rosin 10 Stearamide 0.9

The viscosity was 2000 cps. at 150 C.

Example IV The procedure of Example I was followed utilizing the following composition heated to 190 C.

Parts Polyvinyl butyral 40 Toluene ethyl sulfonamide 30 Polyvinyl methyl ether Rosin 40 The viscosity was 2500 cps. at 180 C.

All of the above compositions, when utilized in pitchband reeds as described, showed no deterioration after extended aging and use, but continued to possess the adhesion, flexibility, firmness and other desirable properties of newly assembled reeds.

While the invention has been in terms of certain preferred examples of construction, they are to be construed as illustrative rather than limiting and it is intended to cover all variations and modifications that fall within the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A textile reed comprising a plurality of metal dents in parallel spaced relationship, the ends of which are clamped between pairs of strips, each pair of strips being bound together and the dents spaced apart by a Winding of a cord impregnated with a tacky, flexible composition, said cord passing between adjacent dents and over and around the outside surfaces of said strips to bind the assembly together, said composition comprising a thermo-.

plastic vinyl polymer selected from the group consisting of polymeric vinyl esters of lower carboxylic acids, polymeric vinyl acetals and mixtures thereof, a nonvolatile plasticizer compatible therewith, a synthetic wax selected from the group consisting of hydrogenated castor oil and polymeric vinyl ethers, a thermoplastic fiuxing resin selected from the group consisting of rosin and rosin esters and a minor amount of a fatty acid amide as a stabilizer.

2. A textile reed as set forth in claim 1 wherein said polymer is polyvinyl acetate.

References Cited by the Examiner OTHER REFERENCES Laird, I.: Reeds for Warping and Weaving, printed in Great Britain by the Cloister Press Ltd., Heaton, Mersey, Stockport 1952, pp. 2-7, 13-18, 21-23, 41, 43, 44, 50, 51, 106 and 107.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner.

I. KEE CHI, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TEXTILE REED COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF METAL DENTS IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATIONSHIP, THE ENDS OF WHICH ARE CLAMPED BETWEEN PAIRS OF STRIPS, EACH PAIR OF STRIPS BEING BOUND TOGETHER AND THE DENTS SPACED APART BY WINDING OF A CORD IMPREGNATED WITH A TACKY, FLEXIBLE COMPOSITION SAID CORD PASSING BETWEEN ADJACENT DENTS AND OVER AND AROUND THE OUTSIDE SURFACES OF SAID STRIPS TO BIND THE ASSEMBLY TOGETHER, SAID COMPOSITION COMPRISING A THERMOPLASTIC VINYL POLYMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF POLYMERIC VINYL ESTERS OF LOWER CARBOXYLIC ACIDS, POLYMERIC VINYL ACETALS AND MIXTURES THEREOF, A NONVOLATILE PLASTICIZER COMPATIBLE THEREWITH, A SYSTHETIC WAX SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGENATED CASTER OIL AND POLYMERIC VINLY ETHERS, A THERMOPLASTIC FLUXING RESIN SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ROSIN AND ROSIN ESTERS AND A MINOR AMOUNT OF A FATTY ACID AMIDE AS A STABILIZER. 